Chandni Chowk to China

Sidhu, a cook from Chandni Chowk, longs to escape his dreary existence. He sees his chance when two strangers from China claim him to be the reincarnation of a war hero and ask him to come back with them to their village in China. Dreaming of the princely existence that awaits him, Sidhu blissfully sets out for China, never suspecting that he is being set up to take on a vicious smuggler.

Comment

The combined elements of a raucous, rapid-fire humour and a martial-arts twist should make this a Bollywood film easily palatable to undemanding Western audiences. Don't expect to be pummeled by 20 minute songs that only abstractly relate to the film's narrative. The music is hip, short and sweet and favours self-aware and tongue-in-cheek when not playing up the necessary classic Bollywood romantic elements. Great comic acting and a hot good/bad female duo played by Deepika Padukone give this treat the spice necessary to lift this flic above the abundant product output that rarely features in Western reviews. Beats Adam Sandler any day. (Punchdrunk anomaly excepted). Good for kids and adults and adult kids and days requiring less serious.